Prostate health is a significant concern for men over the age of fifty. If prostate cancer is suspected from either a physical examination or because of a Prostate Specific Antigens test, a biopsy is performed to collect tissue samples from the prostate for evaluation by a pathologist. Prostate tumors are small growths scattered about the prostate. For this reason, a physician will take multiple tissue samples from different areas of the prostate, typically between 9 and 18 samples.
The normal procedure for obtaining biopsy samples with ultrasound guidance is called Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS) Guided Prostate Biopsy. An end-fire ultrasound probe is used, which generates a pie-shaped image plane. Some end-fire probes are manufactured with a biopsy needle channel, which passes through the body of the probe at an angle, such that a biopsy needle set inserted through the biopsy needle channel exits the channel at a slight angle relative to the body of the probe. Most probes require a needle set guide tube to be affixed to the probe body, such that a needle set placed through the guide tube parallels the axis of the probe and the needle set can be extended beyond the end of the probe. In use for both, the physician inserts the ultrasound probe into the rectum, and moves the probe around until the specific area of the prostate to be sampled is identified. The physician then bends the probe upward, pointing the biopsy needle channel or biopsy needle set guide at the targeted area of the prostate. A needle set is inserted into and through the needle channel or guide, pushed through the rectum wall and into the prostate.
Standard coring biopsy needles sets are made from substantially rigid, coaxially aligned, stainless steel wire and tubing. They are comprised of two basic components; an inner solid wire stylet with specimen notch and a hollow outer cutting cannula. Once the needle set is correctly positioned relative to the area of tissue to be sampled, the inner stylet is quickly advanced under spring loaded or similar pressure into the prostate tissue. The tissue to be sampled then “prolapses” into stylet's sample notch cutout. Almost instantaneously the outer cutting cannula quickly advances, also under spring loaded pressure, which serves to sever and capture the tissue that had prolapsed into the stylet notch. The needle set is then removed from the tissue/patient so that the tissue sample can be extracted from the needle set and evaluated for the presence of cancer. The physician then moves the probe around within the rectum to identify the next area of the prostate to be sampled, and the process is repeated. As noted, between 9 and 18 samples are typically taken from different areas of the prostate.
Existing biopsy methods suffer from a number of disadvantages. Because the probe must be physically moved about within the rectum by hand to identify and target the different areas of the prostate, it is difficult for physicians to precisely targeted biopsy sample locations, often causing the need for additional samples to be taken. Further, if a sample seems to confirm cancer, it is difficult for the physician to accurately know where in the prostate the sample was taken from, and so difficult to re-biopsy the same tissue location to confirm the cancer.
A number of systems or devices have been proposed for the purpose of better targeting biopsies. Batten, et al, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,690) discloses a slaved biopsy device, analysis apparatus, and process. In Batten, an ultrasound device is inserted into the male urinary tract through the penis, with the biopsy and treatment device inserted transrectally. Chin, et al, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,249) discloses an ultrasound guided therapeutic and diagnostic device. Chin is a flexible ultrasound device used for laproscopic surgery. Lin (U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,234) disclosed a method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging with biplane instrument guidance. Lin's ultrasound device uses two transducers to create two image planes, and has a biopsy needle guide which directs a biopsy needle at the intersection of the imaging planes. Burney, et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,477) discloses surgical and pharmaceutical site access guide and methods. Burney shows a biopsy device in which a thick needle with side exit ports is inserted into the targeted tissue. Biopsy needles are then inserted into the thick needle, exiting out the side to take samples. Further, a number of systems have specified the use of flexible biopsy needle kits.
However, all of these inventions suffer from a number of disadvantages. All require specialized equipment, and do not make use of existing ultrasound systems and technology. All require the movement of the imaging device, making it more difficult to plan and target areas of the prostate for biopsy. Further, the flexible biopsy needles called out either require heating or additional force to cause them to fire, and are impractical for use with established prostate biopsy procedures and existing biopsy needle set firing devices.
Therefore, users would benefit from a biopsy system to allow a biopsy to be planned prior to the tissue sampling, to allow the biopsy needle to be precisely inserted into a targeted area and which is able to record the precise location from which the tissue sample is collected while the imaging device remains stationary. Users would also benefit from a flexible needle set which may be easily “fired” while in a curved position. Further, users would benefit from a means of precisely delivering a treatment to a targeted area of an organ or tissue mass.